Calming the Storm
by Shimmercloud
Summary: Tsubasa revisits an old memory when the five friends decide to take a vacation in the Hawaiian islands.
1. Part 1: Flashback

**HI GUYS**

**Man it's been a long time.**

**I regret nothing. **

**This story is made of two parts. Or maybe more. But right now, two parts. Enjoy yourselves.**

* * *

Tsubasa stared out the window of the plane into the blank white sky. It was going to be a long trip.

"Ginkieeee! Give me some of your candy!" Yes, a very long trip indeed.  
"Get your own candy! This one is mine!"

"Would you guys please stop yelling? We're attracting the attention of the entire plane!"

"Sorry, Madoka."

"Hey, Tsubasa." Tsubasa turned to see Kenta staring at him. "Are you okay? You've been pretty quiet." Tsubasa offered him a smile.

"It's nothing, Kenta," he said. "I was just thinking about something."

"What do you mean, nothing?" Ginka leaned over. "You just said something. You're contradicting yourself."

"Come on, Tsubasa, we're going to Hawaii," said Madoka cheerfully. "It's time to let loose a little."

"That's the thing," said Tsubasa. "The last time I went to Hawaii was a long time ago."

"Ooh, are you gonna tell us a story?" Yu clasped his hands together. "I love Tsubasa's stories."

"I never said that," Tsubasa told him.

"But you obviously have a story, so why not just tell us already?!" he yelled.

"Okay, okay calm down. Sheesh." Tsubasa looked out the window again. Hawaii…it was a place he wanted to remember and forget at the same time.

* * *

It was around a year after the defeat of Dr. Zigurat. He had been requested by the WBBA to monitor an area of suspicious blader activity. There had been a lot of battling, and little sleep, and he began too get very, very stressed. And that's when he felt it. The dark force that he had tried so hard in order to control was beginning to break free. Frightening memories of the Beyblade World Championships flooded his head. He decided that there would be no time to wait. He needed a break. That was when he decided to fly out to Hawaii, thinking that he would be able to de-stress and calm the dark force from there. He spent a few days relaxing and enjoying the beauty of the tropical islands, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to stay away from beyblade for long. He decided to visit a local stadium to see what was happening there.

"Hello?" he called as he entered the stadium. A few people were inside cleaning up, but other than that it was empty.

"Can I help you?" said a voice behind him. Tsubasa turned to see a man standing there.

"There aren't any tournaments going on right now, are there?" he asked.

"You just missed it," he said. "There was a big one just yesterday. Tanna won that one."

"Tanna?" he asked.

"She's a local girl. Doesn't do much battling, but she's definitely a powerful blader."

"Where can I find her?" _If she's as powerful as he says, then I want to face her._ The man laughed.

"You probably wouldn't be able to find her on your own," he told him. "But her brother, Christian, owns a surf shop nearby. He'll probably know where she is." Tsubasa thanked the man and left.

He found the surf shop at the corner of the street. Surfboards of every size and color lined the walls. A young man with blonde hair stood at the counter. "Hi there," he greeted. "Are you looking for something?"

"Someone, actually," he said. "Are you Christian?"

"That would be me." He gestured to the rest of the shop. "This is my shop. How can I help you?"

"I was actually wondering if you could help me find someone," Tsubasa told him. "Your sister is Tanna, right?" Christian nodded. "Do you know where she is?"

"She's down by the beach," Christian replied. "Probably sleeping. But if you want to go and find her, be my guest."

"Thanks," said Tsubasa, turning to leave.

"Wait a second," Christian called. "I've seen you before. You won the World Championships, didn't you?" Tsubasa stopped.

"Yeah," he said. "I guess I did." The bad memories started to return. "I'll see you around." And with that, he left.

He found her where he thought she'd be, at the beach, sleeping at a table under a palm tree. He stood a few feet away from her, unsure of what exactly he was supposed to do. After a few moments of staring at her unmoving body, he walked over to a line of food carts that were parked nearby. Moments later, he returned with a mouthwatering skewer in his hand, which he put down next to her head. A few seconds passed, and her eyes opened. She lifted her head and stared at the skewer. "You brought me food?"

"It usually works," he said with a shrug. "Are you Tanna?"

"Yes," she said wearily. "Wait, don't tell me. You're Tsubasa. I saw you on TV."  
"That's me," he said. "Why are you so tired?" She just shrugged.  
"I don't really get much sleep, I guess."

"Alright then," he said. "I hear that you won the big tournament yesterday." She nodded slowly. "Then I challenge you to a battle!"

"You challenge me?" She looked confused. "Why? You're so good."

"I'm always up to battle someone new," he told her. "So what do you say?" She thought for a moment, and then smiled, shaking her head.  
"Boring old bey battles aren't really my thing," she said. "But if you really want a challenge, I can teach you how to surf."  
"Surf?" he asked, confused.  
"Yeah," she grinned. "Are you up for it?"  
"Uhh, I guess," he said hesitantly.  
"Great!" She looked a bit more perked up. "Meet me here at midnight."  
"Midnight?" he asked, surprised.  
"You heard me," she said, putting her head back down. "Midnight. Unless you want to miss the moon." And with that, she was asleep once again. He stared at her. _What's with this girl?_

* * *

"You came!" The moon shone brightly in the sky and the stars were points of light being tossed through the peaceful waves of the ocean. "And you have a board!"

"Your brother gave it to me," he said, scratching his head. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Sure I'm sure," she replied. "Everyone should know how to surf. Come on." They ran to the shoreline. "The first thing you need to learn is how to pop up quickly from your board. The faster you can pop up, the more accurately you can catch the wave. Here, I'll show you." She got down onto her board and then jumped up. "You need to keep your balance too, or the wave will knock you over. Now you try!" Tsubasa got down on his board and tried to imitate her swift style of movement. "That's the way to do it." He tried it a few more times. "Okay, let's go now!"

"Already?" He looked confused.

"Yeah, sure! In order to learn, you have to face the biggest waves. Once you've mastered that, the smaller waves will be a piece of cake."

"What kind of crazy logic is that?" He picked up the board. "Sounds like a recipe for defeat to me."

"I think that you've been so busy being the best at everything that you've forgotten how to learn," she remarked. "But that's okay. It looks like surfing won't be the only thing I'll be teaching you tonight."

"You're going to teach me how to learn?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"That's the way it seems," she said. "But it you're too prideful then pretend I never said that."

"I'm not prideful," he told her. "Tell me what to do."

"Tell you what to do?" She laughed. "What you do is go!" She grabbed her board and ran into the waves. Tsubasa reluctantly followed her in. _Someday she is going to get herself killed. But she seems so much more alive than she did in the afternoon. Weird. _The two of the paddled out from the shore. "See those small oncoming waves?" Tanna pointed out to the steady rolling waves. "When they get to us, just duck down into the water to get past them, or they'll sweep you away." They continued the paddle further in. "That's the one!" Tsubasa looked out towards a large wave moving towards them. "Alright, turn your board around!" They paddled to face the shore. "Wait for it…" The wave approached them quickly and steadily. "And go!" The wave hit them, and they were launched forward. Tsubasa jumped to his feet, just like they had practiced on the shore. They rode the wave for a few meters before it crashed down. Tanna's eyes lit up. "That was fun, wasn't it? Let's go further this time." Tsubasa paddled behind her as they made their way through the waves. The calm waters began to get rougher the further they went. Then they stopped. "Alright, are you ready?" To his surprise, she suddenly stood up and pulled out a bey. He stared at her. "What are you doing?"  
"What's wrong?" she asked over the roar of the waves. "You have your bey, don't you?"  
"Yeah, but we can't battle out here," he called.  
"I can," she smirked. "Can you?" After a moment of hesitation, he pulled out his bey.  
"Alright." His competitive side kicked in. "Let's do this." Her eyes lit up and she positioned her rip launcher.  
"Three!" Tsubasa adjusted his Eagle. "Two!" The ocean rumbled and he struggled to keep his balance. "One!" The waves roared as the two beys were launched into the water. Eagle was instantly swallowed up in the churning waves, but Tanna's bey dove down into the water and was launched back up again into the air. Tanna stood expertly on her surfboard as she calmly maneuvered through the waves to keep her balance. "This is Diamond Delphinus," she said. "My pride and joy. Sort of. It's specially designed to fight the waves, and its opponents." Delphinus sped across the surface of the ocean and headed straight for Eagle. "Need a boost?" Delphinus struck it cleanly, hurling it into the air. "You're a bird, right? Fly then!"

"Alright, you asked for it," said Tsubasa. "Fly, Eagle!" Eagle screeched as it glided over the water. "Metal Wing Smash!" Eagle glowed and rocketed towards Delphinus.

"Not so fast," said Tanna with a grin. Delphinus submerged completely into the water and Eagle's attack got lost. Tsubasa gritted his teeth with frustration.

"Now it's our turn!" Tanna ducked through a wave. "Wild Whirlwind!" The water around Eagle began to churn, swallowing up the purple bey in a massive whirlpool.

"Fight it, Eagle!" called Tsubasa. Eagle began to spin faster, but it couldn't escape the whirlpool.

"Go, Delphinus!" Tanna's bey flew through the air, striking Eagle over and over again as it struggled to get out of the water. Tsubasa clenched his fists. The familiar pounding sensation of the dark force returned. _No, not now…_ He stared at Eagle as it was attacked by its strong opponent, powerless against the potent ocean. _No…there has to be something I can do!_ His vision blurred and a roaring sound surrounded him. _I can't believe…I can't help Eagle…_ He felt the rage begin to emulate and a searing pain struck through his head. _No…! _The roaring grew louder as he was about to slip away.

Suddenly, water filled his ears and mouth as he was knocked into the water. Flailing his arms desperately, he broke through the surface with a gasp, coughing and choking. He looked up to see Tanna paddling past him, her big blue eyes reflecting the ocean waves. Breathing heavily, he climbed back onto his board. _No way…I'm…I'm okay…_ He faced Tanna evenly. She pressed her lips together, gesturing to the beys. "They're still moving," she pointed out. Tsubasa stared at Eagle. The whirpool had disappeared and the bey was spinning on the surface, perfectly in tact. Delphinus dove through the waves, clicking and squeaking. "Tsubasa," said Tanna. "You don't have to be a burning flame to possess power." He stared at her, confused. "The ocean waves are calm and graceful, but they can destroy any flame that dares to face them." Tsubasa looked out at the waves. _The ocean possesses power…_ "If we are like the ocean, then who could ever defeat us?" she added. "Maybe that's what you'll need to learn, before you can battle against me." She smiled, drawing Delphinus closer to her. "So? What's your move?" Tsubasa stared at the sky. _Calm…like the ocean._ He looked down at Eagle, who was awaiting his command. A spark of motivation ignited inside of him. "Alright," he said with a smile. "Let's do this." Eagle flew into the air and dove at Delphinus once again, this time hitting it right on the spot. Delphinus thrashed through the water, its sleek design keeping itself balanced. "You're getting better!" called Tanna. "But not good enough!" Delphinus started back towards Eagle. "Wild Whirpool!" The water began to churn again, but this time Tsubasa was prepared. "Go, Eagle!" Eagle took off into the sky, flying higher and higher.

"We know what's coming," Tanna remarked. "Ready, Delphinus? Breach!" With a click and a squeak, Delphinus leaped out of the water. Simultaneously, Eagle shot down from the sky. The two beys collided, causing a giant explosion. The waves threw Tsubasa to a side. He gripped the board, shielding his eyes from the oncoming spray. The water died down and the two bladers looked eagerly out onto the outcome in front of them. Both beys were still spinning. Tsubasa smirked, getting onto his feet again. "Hey, Tanna!" he called. "This whole water battling thing has been fun and all, but what do you say we take it to the shore?" Tanna grinned.

"If you say so," she replied. "Alright, Delphinus! Special move: Colossal Tidal Crusher!" Tsubasa stared as a giant wave rose up behind them. "Hang ten, Tsubasa!" Tanna yelled. The wave crashed down onto the surface and the two bladers were swept up. Tsubasa crouched down, grabbing the sides of the board with his hand. As they reached the shore, Tsubasa tumbled onto the beach, gasping for breath. "It's not over yet," called Tanna. The two beys were spinning steadily in the sand. Tsubasa stood up. "Great," he said. "Because the land is my forte." The two beys rammed against each other. "Let's settle this!" The battle raged on and the two opponents raced through the beach and up to a cliff. Both bladers were exhausted. "You put up quite a fight for a fish out of water," he said breathlessly.

"You're not so bad yourself," she replied. "For a bird _in _the water."

"Well, we're not in the water now," he said. "So I'm going to finish this! Eagle, Metal Wing Smash!" Eagle charged into the air and dove down towards Delphinus at top speed, smashing into it. There was another explosion and Delphinus flew off the cliff and into the water, sinking beneath the surface. Eagle returned to Tsubasa, who looked up at Tanna. "It looks like I win." Tanna's face broke into a smile.

"That was amazing," she said, shaking her head. She glanced at the sky. "It's almost sunrise. Let's go!" Before Tsubasa could say a word, she grabbed his arm and dove off the cliff into the water.

The ocean was filled with colorful schools of fish and shells and beautiful coral. Tsubasa's eyes widened as they swam deeper down into the clear water. It was so peaceful, so silent. For once his world was perfectly calm. They reached the ocean floor and Tanna scooped Delphinus out of the sand. She glanced at him, a look of pure joy on her face. A golden glow lit up the sky above them as they swam upwards. _The light…it's so beautiful…_ They broke the surface with a gasp. The giant sun rose over the water, reflecting its light across the surface. Tsubasa basked in the warm glow. _I was right. This was the place to go._ They swam to the shore and sat in the sand, watching the sunrise. "Bet you never get any of that in the city, do you?" Tanna asked quietly.

"Not even close," he replied. "Maybe it was just what I was missing." In the warmth of the sun, he fell asleep, and for once his heart was at peace.

* * *

"Wow, Tsubasa," said Gingka. "That was some story."

"Told ya Tsubasa's stories are the best," Yu grinned.

"Hey, maybe you'll see Tanna in Hawaii," Gingka suggested.

"Maybe." Tsubasa nodded slowly. "If the odds are in our favor."

"Wait, is that just where it ends?" asked Kenta anxiously. "Did you even say goodbye to her?"

"I did, actually," Tsubasa replied. "I left the next day, but we did part ways peacefully." He closed his eyes, reminiscing the scene in his head. The morning had passed by smoothly, and Tsubasa had been making his way to the airport when he saw her again.

* * *

"You're really leaving?" she had asked him.

"Yeah," he said. "Maybe someday I'll come back here."

"You better." She blinked expressionlessly. After the night ended, she had reverted back to her tired, lifeless self. "I'll train extra hard so we can battle again when you do." He smiled, remembering the events of last night.

"If I was anything less than myself," he told her. "I would never want to battle you again, because I know that there would never be a battle that would ever be as beautiful as that one."

"But you'll still battle me because you're always up for the challenge." She offered him a weary smile. "I admire you." He shook his head.

"You taught me how to be calm like the ocean. I owe you that." He smiled back at her. "You _are_ the ocean."

"Someday you can be the ocean too," she replied. "It takes practice…and patience." _Practice…and patience._ It had been a bitter farewell, but Tsubasa had to move on. There was still so much work to do, and there was no doubt that the dark force would return. _Someday I'll become the ocean. And when that day comes, I won't have to worry anymore._

* * *

Kenta stared at Tsubasa in awe. "So did you ever learn how to be the ocean?" Tsubasa smiled.

"In order to learn, you have to face the biggest waves," he said. "Which is what I'm always doing, isn't it?" Kenta looked at him, awestruck.

"Yeah, definitely!" he said enthusiastically. "I'm going to learn like that too!"

The plane landed at the Hawaii airport. It was time for a vacation. And maybe, a new adventure.


	2. Part 2: Becoming the Ocean

**Part II is here! I feel like it could have been better, but I hope you guys like it anyway! :D**

* * *

"Man, this is the best restaurant ever!" Gingka dove into his food eagerly. "I am starving!" The five friends had arrived in Hawaii and decided to go to a restaurant to eat.

"I might have developed a new love for Hawaiian food," declared Madoka. "This is amazing!" After a few minutes of indulging in their dishes, Tsubasa noticed something.

"Hey, guys?" he said. "Is it just me, or is that waitress looking at us weirdly?" They all turned to see a young girl standing on the other side of the restaurant, staring at them.

"Maybe she recognizes us from TV," Gingka suggested.

"Maybe." Tsubasa glanced at her suspiciously. The waitress walked over, handed them the bill, and walked away without a word. Gingka picked up the bill and scanned it with his eyes. "Hey, she wrote something on it." Everyone leaned in to read the message.

"_Meet me behind the restaurant. I have something very important to talk to you about._" Gingka blinked. "This seems pretty serious. What do you guys think?"

"I think it's a little bit sketchy," Kenta put in. Tsubasa nodded in agreement.

"Well, let's go anyway!" Gingka concluded. "There's nothing we can't take on, right?"

"Right!" said Yu. They finished their food quickly and headed out of the restaurant.

* * *

"Thank you for coming." As the note said, the young waitress was waiting behind the building, a nervous look on your face. "You guys are Team Gan Gan Galaxy, right? You won the Beyblade World Championships."

"That's us," said Gingka cautiously.

"Great," she said. "I need your help!" Her face was filled with fear. "We…we all need your help!" Gingka and Tsubasa exchanged glances. _This is serious…_

"Let me explain," the girl said. "My name is Kemi. I've lived on this island since I was born. We have always loved Beyblade and battling, but recently a thug blader appeared out of nowhere and started forcing others to battle with him using blackmail and threats. Everytime he battles someone, he causes so much destruction. None of us can do anything to stop him, he's just too strong!"

"That's terrible!" Madoka exclaimed. Gingka clenched his fists in anger, speechless.

"Well, gang, I know what we're going to do today," he declared. "Don't worry, Kemi. We'll put a stop to this savagery!"

"Yeah, bullying other bladers isn't what Beyblade is about!" added Kenta.

"We'll bust that loser for sure!" Yu jumped into air. "Right, Tsubasa?"

"Right." Tsubasa had a determined look on his face. "He has no right to be causing trouble here. It's people like him who give Beyblade a bad name."

"Let's go, guys! We've got a thug to find!" The five of them ran off, eager to start the search. Kemi stared at them in awe for a second, and then ran back into the restaurant.

* * *

"Where should we start?" asked Kenta.

"Let's ask around," Gingka suggested. "Maybe we'll find some bladers who have battled with him!" They wandered around the small town until they encountered a small collapsed wooden shack. Broken wood and piled up dirt littered the ground and a few gloomy looking boys were cleaning up around it. "Man, this looks bad," Gingka observed. "Hey, you guys aren't bladers, are you?"

"We are," said one boy sadly. "Well, we used to be, until that crazy guy destroyed our beys." The other boys held out their hands to show them piles of wrecked bey parts.

"That's terrible!" Gingka shook his head in disgust. "Madoka, can you help them?"

"On it." Madoka pulled out her repair kit and began to work on the beys. "You can't let some bully stop you from blading, you know."

"But he was so strong!" said another boy. "He defeated all of us at the same time, and he destroyed this shack!"

"Well, that's lame!" Yu frowned. "But you shouldn't let some loser like him dampen your bey spirit! That's what bey battling is all about! Even when you lose, you gotta get up again and keep working till you're number one!" Yu's voice got louder and louder until everyone covered their ears. The boys looked awestruck.

"You really think so?" one of them asked.

"Would I lie?" laughed Yu. "I've lost plenty of times, mostly to Gingkie and Tsubasa, but I'm still at the top of the world!"

"Yu, this is inspirational and all, but could you please tone it down a bit? I'm trying to fix some beys here," said Madoka, annoyed.

"Haha, sorry Madoka." Yu scratched his head sheepishly. "I'll stop yelling now."

"That blader who battled you," Tsubasa began. "What did he look like?" The boys looked at each other.

"He was tall and had brown hair," said one boy. "His bey was an Auriga, but it looked like it was on fire!"

"Flame Auriga, huh?" Madoka put down the bey for a second and pulled out her computer. "That does seem like a powerful bey."

"It doesn't matter." Gingka shook his head. "We need to find him and take him down! He'll pay for what he's done to this town!"

"Did you get his name?" asked Kenta.

"Yeah, his name is Mike," said the boy. "Everyone knows that."

"Mike?" Yu furrowed his brow. "Wow. I expected something a little scarier."

"Well, it doesn't matter what his name is," said Gingka. "We're still taking him down! Let's go, gang!" The five friends departed and continued their search.

* * *

"Gingkieeeee, I'm tired," Yu complained. "We've been looking for like a hundred hours and we haven't found anything! Can't we go to sleep now?"

"It is getting dark, Gingka," said Madoka. "Maybe we should head back to the cabin."

"Wait, guys." Gingka stopped in his tracks, causing everyone to crash into him. "Do you hear something?" Everyone paused, listening carefully. They heard a low rumble emanating from the ground. "Where is that coming-" He was interrupted by a giant explosion a few block from where they were standing. "What was that?" gasped Kenta.

"I think I know what it is." Gingka narrowed his eyes. "Let's go check it out!" They dashed off towards the sound of the explosion. They arrived at the scene to see a giant crater in the ground with dust rising in the air. The dust cleared to reveal a boy lying on the ground, along with a cloaked figure holding a bey. "Hey, you!" Gingka yelled. "Are you Mike?" The figure growled, advancing on them.

"Are you here to challenge me?" he called menacingly.

"Yeah, we are!" Gingka called back. "So show yourself!" The figure removed his hood.

"Wait a second," he said, stopping. "You guys are the bladers from the World Championships." He took a step back.

"So what if we are?" Tsubasa shot at him. "You're not scared, are you?"

"Of course not," he snapped. He suddenly launched his bey. "Go, Auriga!" Before any of them could do anything, Auriga launched itself into the ground, creating a huge dust storm.

"Everybody get down!" yelled Tsubasa. They pressed themselves to the ground, covering their faces as the dust blew over them. When it was over, they looked up to see that Mike had disappeared.

"What a piece of work!" Gingka snapped, annoyed. "Running away like that. He knows he can't take us on, a guy like him!"

"Calm down, Gingka," Madoka told him. "There's nothing we can do right now. Let's just go back. We can talk about this in the morning."

"Yeah, we'll probably see him again anyway," said Tsubasa. "Don't worry about it Gingka, we'll get that guy for sure." Gingka pressed his lips together.

"Okay," he said reluctantly. "Let's head back." The stars came out as the five friends headed back to their cabin. It had been a long day.

* * *

The morning sun shone brightly in the Hawaii sky as they stood outside the cabin, preparing for another day of searching.

"I have a good feeling about today," said Gingka, a determined look on his face. "We are going to find that guy and end his horrible scheming!"

"You said it, Gingka!" Kenta put in. "He's going to pay for what he's done here!"

"Wait, guys," Yu interrupted. "This is exciting and all, but where's Tsubasa?" The four of them looked around. Tsubasa was nowhere to be seen.

"Maybe he went ahead," suggested Gingka. "I don't really know, but knowing Tsubasa, he'll be okay."

"You're right," said Kenta. "Let's go, guys!" They headed out into the town.

"Where should we start looking first?" asked Madoka.

"Let's go to the other side of town," said Gingka. "He might have gone there to run away from us."

"Good idea, Gingka," Kenta commended. They trekked through the streets to the suburban side of the small town. The bright sunlight sparkled on the clear waters of the Pacific as the gang followed a boardwalk down the side of the beach.

"The view here is great," said Madoka. "But do you really think Mike would be in an open place like this?"

"Well if I were him, I would be getting some ice cream!" Yu pointed to an ice cream vendor nearby. "Gingkieeee! Can I have some? Can I? Please, please please!"

"Sure, Yu, do what you want," Gingka laughed. Yu pumped his fist happily and ran over the ice cream vendor.

"One rainbow cone with looooots of sprinkles, please!" he said eagerly. The man selling ice cream scooped the cone and Yu handed him some money. Just as he took the ice cream from him, a blast went off nearby. Yu's eyes got big and he ran back to his friends.

"Gingkie! Did you hear that? Did you, did you?"

"I heard it all right." Gingka stared off into the distance. "Let's roll, guys. Maybe we can catch him this time." The ran off again towards the sound of the impending destruction.

* * *

"You fool!" Mike stood in the small clearing between buildings. "You can't possibly back away from me now!" His opponent simply stood there unmoving. Gingka, Madoka, Kenta, and Yu ran up to them, stopping short. A girl stood opposite of him, but she wasn't holding a bey. "You're not scared, are you?"

"You disgust me," his opponent said. "I encounter a lot of stupid bladers around here, but by far you are the most stupid."

"Then battle me," he laughed. "Defeat me and then we'll see who the stupid one is."

"I don't battle out of spite like you do." She took a step back. "So just give up your little act already."

"You're a coward!" he yelled. "You won't battle me because you're confident in your own defeat! Perhaps you aren't as stupid as I thought." He smirked.

"If this is your weird way of trying to get me to battle you, it's not working," she called, turning to leave.

"Wait!" He wasn't finished yet. "I think maybe you'd want _this_!" He took out a piece of paper. She stopped and turned around, staring at it. "This afternoon at the stadium. That gives you a few hours to _consider_ it before I crush you under the power of my Flame Auriga!" And with that, he left. The girl stood there expressionless, staring straight ahead. Gingka ran up to her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, fine." With a sigh, she sat down on the dusty ground. "Just a little tired, is all."

"That is one crazy guy." Gingka sat down next to her. "I'm Gingka, and this is Madoka, Kenta, and Yu."

"Yeah, yeah, I know you guys." She offered them a weak smile. "It's nice to finally be able to meet you, I guess. Although the conditions could be a little bit better. I'm Tanna, by the way."

"You're Tanna?" Gingka gaped at her. "No way!"

"Is…there a problem?" she asked, eyeing him nervously.

"No, no problem," he replied cheerfully. "We've just heard about you before, that's all."

"Yeah, from Tsubasa!" Yu piped up. Tanna blinked.

"Tsubasa?" She ran a hand through her dark hair. "Does he really still remember me? Or maybe it's you guys with the good memory."

"I'd say he remembers you pretty well," said Gingka, thinking about Tsubasa's story. "Anyway, what was that paper Mike was holding?"

"A deed," she replied grimly. "To my brother's shop. He must have stolen it. I hate to admit it, but if I don't battle that guy, he could get it closed down. I don't know what we'd do then." She sighed again, staring at the ground. "Like I said, I don't battle out of spite. That's not what battling should be about."

"Let me battle that jerk!" Gingka put in angrily. "I'll make him pay for everything he's done!" Tanna shook her head sadly.

"He won't battle you," she said. "He knows that he doesn't stand a chance. He's only picking on the weaker bladers in order to gain a more authoritative position here."

"Wow, that is stupid," said Yu, ice cream smeared all over his mouth. "I sure would like to battle him."

"What are you going to do?" Gingka asked.

"I'm going to battle him," she said with a shrug. "As long as I make it out alive, it should be fine."

"But what if you don't?" asked Kenta, nervously. "He is a pretty ruthless guy."

"I appreciate your help, guys," she said, standing up. "But it doesn't really matter. I really can't not battle him. There's too

lthough the conditions could be a little bit better. ahead.. u are the most stupid. a boardwalk down the side of the beach. much at stake here." She started to walk away. "See you guys this afternoon, I guess." Gingka stared at her, and then at his friends.

"She doesn't really have much spirit, does she?" Yu observed. "We are going to see the battle, right?"

"Of course we are," said Gingka. "It's obvious that she isn't going to back down now. All we can do is go support her and hope for the best."

"Gingka's right," Kenta agreed. "There isn't really anything else we can do right now."

"What about Tsubasa?" asked Madoka worriedly. "We haven't seen him all morning."

"If I know Tsubasa, he'll be there this afternoon," said Gingka. "Come on, let's head back. Maybe we can get some rest before the big battle this afternoon."

* * *

"That Mike guy really gets on my nerves," said Yu as they headed down to the stadium. "I hope Tanna wipes him off the face of the earth!"

"Tanna does seem like a strong blader," Madoka mused. "But I get the feeling that Mike has a few tricks up his sleeve. What do you think, Gingka?"

"It doesn't matter," said Gingka with a sigh. "But I hope I'll get to battle him afterwards, if he hasn't run off first." They anxiously took their seats in the stadium. "Do you guys see Tsubasa?"

"Nope." Kenta shook his head. "Does he even know this is going on? He's been gone for the whole day."

"We can't worry about that now," said Madoka. "The battle's about to start!"

"Good afternoon, bladers!" yelled the announcer. "And welcome to today's battle!"

"Why do I get the feeling that that announcer doesn't announce stuff very often?" muttered Gingka.

"Let's introduce our bladers for today! Over here we have the challenger, Mike, and his Flame Auriga!" The crowd booed as Mike stepped up to the platform. "And on the other side we have our defender, Hawaii's very own Tanna!"

"Go, Tanna!" Gingka cheered along with the rest of the crowd. Tanna stepped up to the platform, looking dull and worn out.

"Are you ready, fish girl?" called Mike scornfully. Tanna whipped out her bey and positioned it in front of her. Mike did the same. "Three, two one!" The two beys were launched into the stadium. "Go, Auriga! Smash that fish to bits!"

"Delphinus!" Tanna called. The two beys clashed, sparks flying into the air. "Wild Whirlwind!" Delphinus whipped up the winds, causing Auriga to fly into the air.

"Auriga Inferno!" yelled Mike. Auriga ignited into a ball of flame and flew back down at Delphinus.

"Dodge it, Delphinus!" Delphinus swerved to the side and Auriga crashed down into the stadium.

"Don't run from me!" Mike snapped. "Go, Auriga!" Auriga rammed heavily into Delphinus and the bey skidded across the stadium floor.

"No!" Tanna tugged on a lock of her hair.

"When are you gonna start showing some real spirit, huh?" Mike scoffed. "Auriga, Blazing Meteor Smash!" Auriga flew into the air, its steady spin fueling the growing flames surrounding it. "Go!" Auriga flew down towards Delphinus at top speed and smashed cleanly onto its face bolt. Flames filled the stadium and exploded with such force that Tanna was thrown backwards. The smoke cleared to reveal that Delphinus had been driven into the ground. It was still spinning, but it was stuck. Auriga landed a heavy blow. "How does that feel?" yelled Mike. "To be crushed underneath the weight of my infinite power?"

"What a guy," whispered Madoka. "Does he really need to be so rough?" Gingka didn't reply. Instead he stared out at the battlefield, his eyes filled with worry.

"No…" Tanna climbed to her feet. "Get out of there, Delphinus!" Delphinus tilted its fusion wheel, flipping out of the hole.

"Oh no, you don't!" Auriga smashed into Delphinus, once again ramming it into the ground. "And stay there! Auriga Inferno!" Auriga launched itself at Delphinus again, causing another huge explosion. Knocked off her feet, Tanna stared as Delphinus was struck over and over again from above. "No…." Her eyes welled up with tears.

"He's using such great force," whispered Gingka. "How is Tanna going to top that?"

"Did you really think you could defeat me?" Mike yelled. "My Flame Auriga is the most powerful bey you'll ever see! If you can't take the heat, then get out of the kitchen! Auriga, let's finish this!"

"No…" Tanna stared at the ground, tears falling from her face. "I can't do this."

"It's too late now." Mike pointed at her. "I'm going to beat you so hard, you'll never battle again! Don't think you can face the power of my burning Auriga!" Auriga blazed as it flew at Delphinus again. "There's nothing you can do to stop me from become the most powerful blader ever!" He roared with evil laughter. "I will be at the top of the world, and I will crush any blader who thinks they are stronger than me!" Tanna shook her head, staring at the ground. She looked devastated. A hush fell over the crowd, leaving only the sound of metal colliding and Mike's crazy laughter.

And then all of a sudden, a voice spoke up.

"An old friend once told me," it said. "You don't have to be a burning flame to possess power." Tanna squeezed her eyes shut, her hair falling over her face. "If we can become the ocean, then who could ever defeat us?"

"Is that Tsubasa?" Madoka hissed. "What's he doing?"

"Shh…" Gingka whispered. "Just listen to him!"

"That was the day that I learned how to become the ocean," he continued, his voice ringing across the entire stadium. "From the ocean itself." Tanna raised a hand to her head, as if she wasn't sure what to think. "Are you the ocean, Tanna?" Tsubasa yelled. "Or are you so willing to be choked by the flames?"

As the entire stadium held its breath, Tanna slowly stood up to face him. Despite her unruly hair and tear stained face, the spirit had returned to her dark blue eyes. "I am the ocean," she whispered.

"Then show him your power." Tsubasa met her gaze evenly. She whirled around and pointed at Mike. "Your flames are no match for me!" she called. "I am the ocean! We..." At that moment Delphinus leaped out of the hole once again and whizzed away from Auriga. "…are the ocean!"

"No!" Mike cursed angrily. "Auriga, don't let it get away!"

"Lemme tell you a story, Mike," said Tanna, a smile spreading across her face. "Once upon a time there was a beached dolphin." Delphinus clicked and squeaked as it leaped up from the edges of the stadium to avoid Auriga's blows. "It was constantly being attacked by pitiful gulls who had nothing better to do than to take advantage of the weak." Delphinus flew down to the center of the stadium. "But soon the tide came in and the suddenly it was the dolphin who had the upper hand, and the gulls were history." She grinned. "Go, Delphinus! Special move: Colossal Tidal Crusher!" Delphinus spun faster, whipping up a giant tsunami that submerged the stadium completely. Mike's eyes got big as Delphinus maneuvered expertly through the water, smashing directly into the helpless Auriga. The flaming bey sank and hit the ground. As the water fell, Auriga was washed up onto the platform at Mike's feet. He gaped at it in disbelief. Delphinus flew back to Tanna's hand. For a moment the entire stadium was silent. Then Gingka stood up.

"Get out of here, Mike!" he yelled. "And don't come back until you've learned what blading is really about!" Mike stared at him, unsure of what to do.

"Yeah!" another voice shouted. It was one of the boys from the day before. "We don't ever want to see you around here again!" The rest of the crowd began to shout. Tanna turned to him with a smile and shrugged. "Better leave now," she said quietly. Mike scowled and launched his bey again. Another dust storm arose, and when it was clear, he was gone.

"What a coward," Tsubasa sighed, shaking his head. "He'll never learn." Tanna hopped down from the platform and hugged him.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"You can thank yourself," he said quietly.

"Sometimes I forget," she replied. She took a step back towards the entrance, beckoning to him. "So, are you coming or not?" Tsubasa grinned.

"Yeah, I am." The two of them ran out of the stadium in the direction of the ocean. Gingka jumped impatiently out of his seat. "Wait, I wanna water battle too!" He vaulted over the seats and ran after them.

"Me too!" called Kenta, following him.

"Me three!" Yu joined in. Madoka rolled her eyes and tagged along.

"Don't hurt yourselves!" she called after them as they ran into the sunset to the sparkling ocean waters. As they battled in the shallow water at the shore, Tsubasa and Tanna surfed out into the waves.

"Don't you lose to me again, okay?" Tanna called.

"I never lost to you!" he replied. "And I won't today. Ready?" He positioned his bey. "Three!" The sea breeze swirled around them as the waves lapped at their boards. "Two!" Tanna glanced up at the sun, letting her hair blow in the wind. "One!" And off they went. The blazing sun sunk lazily into the sea, rays of light bouncing across the surface of the water. The beys whizzed across the horizon, from the distance simply two tiny shadows flickering in the air, and two bladers who became the ocean.

The stars came out once again, and the long night began. Her eyes glowed with the light of the moon, and they stayed by the sea till the morning came.

* * *

**Was that a Phineas and Ferb reference? Oh no I didn't! :D Hehehe I was actually thinking of incorporating a clear romance in there, but I decided against it cause it was a little over the top. So I suppose it's up to you guys if you want there to be romance or not. **

**A lot of this story was inspired by How I Became the Sea by Owl City. It's such a beautiful song, you guys should all go listen to it right now :D Uhh yeah, hope you liked my story! If you have any questions or comments, leave a review and I'll be happy to answer!**


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